Wednesday, 15 February 2012

Hello !As you all know by now, Its the busiest time in the year for me and this month i,m booked out with guiding , NZ fly fishing schools and casting lessons.But i have some great friends helping me for the past few weeks and keeping everybody coming in to the shop happy and entertained. As well as answering all the phone calls and some of the emails from all my great customers.Nothing has stopped every-order going out that day thanks to me getting up very early and into the office and more so my awesome little helpers- More about the dream team later- AKA- Dad , Ela and Mum !!

The shop has just started to tick again with passionate fishermen from all over the world. Some of the old faces have returned again with reports of great fishing throughout NZ.A few fishing club groups have been staying around the area and using the Garston pub as a base- Good food, beer,wine and trout!! what more could the guys ask for!

THE WEATHER-

AH! It was for the past few weeks its been up and down a bit- long fine hot Feb,spells have still not arrived. Every other day we have had low cloud and no wind!At least once or twice a week- we have also had sunny days and as soon as we do usually on the second sunny hot day the bugs start to fly and fall on the water and the fishing gets easier.The forecast for the next week after a few sunny days looks like no real sun overcast with some rain, Normally Feb, its long hot fine spells!

THE RIVERS

All the rivers are clear and sexy.Some of the smaller streams are running but after the 2 month drought earlier in the year, the trout population in these has been severely knocked around, best to stick to the main river systems for the chance of success.

WHATS HATCHING!Pretty much , due to the slightly crazy weather and temperatures- Everything seems to be hatching and happening at once. Yesterday guiding on the waters surface in the space of one hour- i watched - Blowflies,willow grubs, spent spinners and mayfly duns going past me.On the odd hot day the grass and river banks are load with the shrill of cicadas, but i still have to see them on the water, the fish down this way are still not regularly recognising them as a good food source- they seem to be later than normal hatching down this way.

64 WILLOW GRUB TROUT- FRENZY!

Over the past few weeks i have had the usual awesome fun passionate clients , We have been having a ball on willow grubbing trout with 64 trout fooled into eating grub imitations.!

Its been so much fun to introduce my clients to this amazing hatch in In NZ. This year the willow trees are covered more than normal with the brown small homes of these little grubs and boy have they been hatching.

For many of my clients its all about the challenge of fooling willow grubbing trout with very fine tippet , fine strong size 18 tiemco fly hooks and very accurate casting. Some of my clients have caught many huge trout, but when they fool a willow grubbing trout with a willow grub imitation - its worth 10 big trout they tell me.Most of the trout that i see feeding and that get caught on grubs are in the 1-3lb class and for me 3-5lb brown on a grub is a real trophy- On saying that- any trout on a grub for most is a trophy!! and the ultimate!

Everyday i will loose about 20 flies when willow grubbing with clients as even with the best casters they will be casting into gaps in the willow tree branches and with some many branches in the path of the flies , flies will end up being lost- but at the end of the day that is where the trout are , and sacrifices of flies to the branches have to be made! or my clients will not be in the grub zone!So if your reading this and want to experience the willow grubbing addiction get in amongst the willows.

WILLOW GRUB FLIES & WILLOW GRUB RIGS

Some of the secrets!

MY first choice is my foam one on a 10 inch length of 3.5 Rio fluroflex plus attached to the bend of the hook on a NZ hi-viz deadly blowfly -black-size 12- The deadly blowfly acts as an indicator as to where your wee foam grub is. I always put float-ant on both flies to help repel any water and keep them sitting as they should in the surface film.Then the cdc design floated in the surface, then the cdc willow with the cdc cut off ,so that it sinks beneath my deadly blow fly.Other times if the water is fast or the fish down deeper who i think have been feeding on drowned grubs in the water column. i will use the brighter heavier HOT killer nymphs in yellow, chartreuse and green.Or the standard killer nymph in yellow or insect green always suspend bellow a NZ hi hiz deadly blowfly.

Happy Grubbing! CLIENT COMMENT!

Thanks again for a great day out fishing! Your willow grub flies are working well on the browns down here in the lower Mataura when I can find any of them. Now if I could just figure out how to get them to bite during that evening 'mad Mataura rise' I'd be in business!

Thanks.

LARS - NZ

The New awesome strike indicator pack

Oh i forgot to mention the new strike indicator tool that has been selling very well - comes in a small pack with spare tubing and two different samples of the indicator wool i would say enough for about a months of fishing. The packs of spare tubing and indicator wool can be bought separately as well on my site.

Thanks you all for supporting Stu's fly shop - Without your support and comments it would never happen! CheersStu